Confession of a Warm-up Junkie

[tlw]

I was at Poplar a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to share the warm area with Jonathan Holling. I've admired his riding from afar for a while but I really learned a lot by watching him warm up his training level horse. His routine was so solid and methodical and the horse responded so well. I think we amateurs tend to get excited by the moment and rush our warm-ups without meaning to, thus exciting our horses when they really need calm, confidence. I just wanted to throw out there that if you get a chance to watch a true professional during their warm-up you should take a minute and watch. Sometimes one can learn much more simply way watching. I try to spend as much time as possible around the warm-up area at all the events I attend. Anyway, just a random thought on a slow Wednesday evening.

[lstevenson]

I agree. Much can be learned from watching warm up areas. And it becomes really easy to predict who is going to have a good round and who is not from watching it.

[Wee Dee Trrr]

Jon's a great guy. (Former working student of Jon and Jenn's talking here)
He's coming to Indiana in Aug for a clinic.

Warm up is different for each horse/rider combo. Personally, if you were watching my warm up for jumping you'd only see me for 10 mins and we'd only jump about 4 fences. (We quietly hack for 5-15 mins AWAY from warm up before that) ...Warm up makes me and my horse nervous. :)

[piaffeprincess98]

That's about the same for me. My guy doesn't do well with horse's cantering up behind him or jumps getting hit or falling down. He leaps forward. Now, my former upper-level horse could care less, and at that point, it's up to me to stay calm.